


When Someday is Today

by RonRos47



Category: Alex and Maggie - Fandom, Sanvers - Fandom, Supergirl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 23:43:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15695799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: Maggie's estranged father comes back in town.





	When Someday is Today

He could hear the laughter coming from the other side of the door. He knew this was a bad idea and at the last minute was about to walk away but it was too late when he saw her in front of him.

Maggie’s eyes dropped from a smile to one of sadness as she saw the man before her.

“Papa,” Maggie said.

“Hola mi hjiha.” Hello my daughter Mr. Rhodas had said in Spanish.

“What are you doing here?”

The last time Maggie had seen her dad had been five months ago when he had once again disowned her as his daughter on what was supposed to be a special day in her life, not exactly the wedding day quite yet but the engagement party was just as special.

“Mags, I’ve got change if you need it,” Alex said coming to the door. “Mr. Rhodas” Alex said just as surprised as Maggie was.

Mr. Rhodas acknowledged the woman in the room, “Hello, Alejandra,” he said, using the Spanish equivalent of Alexandra.

“Um, please come in,” she said to him.

“Alex!” Maggie said to her wife. 

“Mags,” Alex shot back.

“That’s quite alright,” Mr. Rhodas said, understanding his daughter’s hostility.

“I insist, please,” Alex said to him.

“Thank you,” he said to her.

As he entered, Maggie gave Alex a ‘why are you doing this’ look. Her facial expression changed when her father turned to her.

“I was hoping we could talk.”

“We’ve done enough, talking.”

“Maggie, hear him out.”

“What’s there to hear? You abandoned me, again.”

“I know and I’m sorry for that.”

“Sorry, you’re sorry? You show up at my engagement party, practically blame me for being happy, for being with the person that I’m with, the person whom I love with every fiber in my being and you’re sorry?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” said Mr.Rhodas. “I came here to admit that and to tell you I was wrong. I came to National City the last time in hopes to see my daughter and to see if I could do it.”  
“Do what?”

“Accept your lifestyle.”

“My lifestyle. You think this is a choice? It’s not. I’m gay. I’ve always been gay just like you’ve always been straight. Why is it so hard for you to understand that?”  
“Lifestyle was the wrong word.” Mr. Rhodas looked at Alex who brought him and Maggie a glass of water and offered up the couch. “Thank you,” he said to her. 

Alex nodded and took her glass and sat at the dinner table. From the moment she’d invited Mr. Rhodas into their apartment she knew Maggie hadn’t wanted to be alone with him so she stayed while keeping her distance.

“Listen to me, Margarita, I never grew up the way you did.”

“You mean shunned from your own family, no, no you didn’t.”

“I never grew up with any of this. I came from a strict Catholic household with an old fashioned stance on certain aspects of life. Being gay, it wasn’t as open as it is now. You remember when you came home that one time with, Samantha, you must have been six, you were holding her hand.”

“I remember.”

“You came up to us, all proud and said ‘I like her’. At the time your mother and I thought it was cute. You two were just little kids but then you said, ‘no I like her the way you like mommy.’ We couldn’t accept it then. We were afraid to. As you grew up, you never stopped liking girls. By the time you were fourteen, when we found out what you had told a girl you liked her, your mother and I, we didn’t know how what to do but what we did. Your brothers protected you. They didn’t have to, we didn’t want them to but they did so anyways. Sending you away to live with my sister seemed like the only option. Your brother’s of course contested our decision. Miguel even hated me for it.”

“But he came to visit me anyways.”

“Yeah. We knew he was sneaking out like all boys do and then when he turned eighteen we couldn’t stop him but we could stop Noah.”

There was a two year gap from Maggie and Noah and a four year gap from her and her eldest brother Miguel. As a kid she could never pronounce his name right so she would always call him Gel. It stuck.

“He was sixteen when you kicked me out, how did you manage that?”

“We threatened to send him away to military school if he kept acting as your brother had.”

“Why am I not surprised. What’s your point?”

“My point is, your brothers aren’t the ones who should have been protecting you. That should have been our job and we failed. When I came to visit you sometime ago, I thought I was ready to accept things.”

“What makes you ready now?”

Mr. Rhodas took a deep breath, “I’ve thought a lot about what you said, about you not needing my approval but how you looked for it as a child. Your aunt, she was there for you. We talked and while I’m stubborn in my ways, I’m not so stubborn that I couldn’t listen. She helped me to see you, not for being a lesbian or gay or however you call it but for being who you are as a person. You’ve always been proud of the person you are. Your brothers, your aunt, they are too.”

“I know.”

Well after talking to them I took some time. You’re my only daughter, Margarita, and I want to get to know her if you’ll allow me to do so.”

Maggie didn’t know what to say or what to think. She was passed her father’s approval, passed her even trying to get him to like her. And now that she was finally starting to move on with her life, he came in and disrupted it. 

Seeing him at the door tonight, she had expected another argument. Instead it had been the complete opposite. From the time she was fourteen her father had treated her like garbage, tossed her out as such. And now here he was. He was the one wanting her for a change when for so long it had been her wanting him.

Maggie was numb.

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course.”

The two of them stood and made their way to the door.

“I’m staying at the Linden hotel for a few days.”

“Papa, what about mom?”

Maggie regretted asking the moment she spoke.

“This is still too much for her. She didn’t even want me to come.”

“No of course, I get it.”

Mr. Rhodas looked at his daughter and nodded at Alex who simply smiled.

Maggie closed the door behind him.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Mags,” Alex said after over five minutes of silence.

Maggie took in a heavy breath. “That was… I don’t know what the hell that was,” she said getting angry.

“It looks like he wants to try.”

“Yeah I got that, Alex. Damn it why did he even bother?”

“Because he’s still your dad. He’s ready to be there for you, is that really such a bad thing?”

“Why are you defending him? You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am on your side, Maggie, I just think this time you should give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Why, so he can abandon me again? That’s what he does, Alex. He tries to act like a father and then he leaves. Yeah he was great before he and my mom found out I was gay but after that the only kids he cared about were his sons. I am nothing but a disappointment to him. Damn it, I was finally starting to get some closure and then he shows up.”

“Maggie, you are not that scared little kid anymore. You know that, I know that. Your dad came to see you, not to judge you. He wants to make amends, maybe that’s a good thing.”

“He’s had over twenty years for that.” Maggie shook her head, “I have to go.”

“Maggie,” Alex said to her.

 

Without saying another word, Maggie left the apartment. She loved Alex but right now she needed some time alone.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Several hours had passed when Maggie arrived home.

“You didn’t have to wait up for me,” Maggie said to Alex.

“I know I didn’t.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Maggie. Come here,” Alex said, leading Maggie to the edge of the bed. “Talk to me.”

“What’s there left to talk about? You know everything from my past at this point. You know how I feel towards my dad. There’s nothing left.”

“I think there is otherwise you would be acting this way. You say you’ve put all of it behind you but we can’t erase our past, Maggie, it’s part of who we are, what shapes us. I wish I could take your pain away. I wish I could have been there for you when you were younger but I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t know what to do, Alex.”

“I know. I also know there is a man across town who is just as confused and nervous as you are. He’s here, Maggie. You have no idea how many times I wished my dad would show up. Would I be angry at him yeah I would but I’d still give him another chance because he is my dad. They kind of make it hard for us to abandon them completely.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-,”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have brought him up. We all have issues with our parents but Maggie, maybe this might be the way to really start healing for you. At least just consider it.”

“How did I get so lucky,” Maggie asked.

Alex smiled and placed Maggie’s hair behind her ear. “I ask myself the same question every day.” Maggie smiled. “I love you wife.”

“I love you too.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Rhodas stood up as he saw his daughter come into the restaurant. The two hugged awkwardly.

“Alex didn’t come with you,” he said.

“No I told her not to. To be honest, I don’t even know why I decided to come.”

“Well whatever reason that is, I’m glad you did. Please,” he said motioning for her to take a seat at the table.

Maggie did so but reluctantly. Neither of them spoke, instead letting the awkward silence filling the space.

Two glasses were brought out and filled with wine.

“Merlo correct?” asked Mr. Rhodas

"That's fine

“Can I get you anything else,” asked the server. Mr. Rhodas and Maggie waved him off so he left.

“So you’re still with that federal agent.”

“Alex yes.” 

“A detective and an agent, how did you two-,”

“Papa, we really don’t have to do this.”

“Margarita I’m trying here.”

“No you’re not, you just want to sit there and judge me.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Isn’t it?” Maggie shook her head, “It’s fine, I don’t know why I even bothered,” she said standing up.

“Margarita, please. I’m not trying to judge you. This is new, to both of us. Please, just have a seat. Please.”

Maggie unenthusiastically did so. She wasn’t sure who this was hard on, herself or her father.

Mr. Rhodas started over, “How did you and Alex meet?”

“We um… we were working the same case. Kind of one of those things where one division fights with another over who has jurisdiction. It just kind of took off from there.”

“And her family, they’re accepting of-,”

“Of her being gay, yeah they are.”

Mr. Rhodas nodded, “Of course I met Alex’s mother. She seems nice.”

“Yeah she is. Eliza’s great. She’s a scientist.”

“A scientist that’s impressive.”

“Yeah. I come from a good-,” Maggie stopped herself. She was about to say ‘family’ but she wasn’t ready to tell her dad that part of her life quite yet. “Support system,” she said instead.

“I can see that. And good friends, good work environment that sort of thing?”

“Yes. Alex and I um… we work a lot of cases together so if she’s not at the precinct I’m at the bureau.”

“Doesn’t that seem like a conflict of interest?”

“Well we’re don’t exactly have the same job but we work well together in the field and the precinct doesn’t mind neither does the FBI director. We keep our work separate from our personal lives.”

“If anyone can do that it’s you. Your good at your job.”

“You told me that you followed all of my cases, why would you do that after everything that happened between us?”

“It was my way of looking in on your life. When your aunt told me you had gone into law enforcement, well it surprised me. It surprised your mother too. We just didn’t think you’d want to follow in your old man’s footsteps. I know being a sheriff and a homicide detective are not exactly the same thing but-,”

“We’re still cops, doesn’t matter how you look at it.”

Mr. Rhodas smiled. “At the time I wasn’t about to ask your aunt after everything I’d done to you so when I heard you became a cop and later made it to detective it made sense to look in on you even if I had to do it from afar.”

Maggie only nodded unsure of what to say to all of that. He had been the one to make the choice to abandon her, he’d made a choice not to ask her aunt about her wellbeing, he’d made a choice not to reach out all those years. 

Maybe the fact that he had followed her through her cases did count for something. She wasn’t sure. What did matter, she supposed, was that he was here now, getting to know her, wanting to know about her life. And the fact that even Maggie had shown up had been her way of healing, like Alex had said it would be as much as she didn’t want to admit that truth to herself.

“And Alex, does she enjoy being a federal agent?”

“Oh she loves it,” Maggie said proud of that. “She was originally going to be a doctor but the head of the FBI gave her an opportunity and she took it. She doesn’t regret it for a second.”

“Does she have any siblings?”

Maggie took a sip of her drink, “She does, a sister. She’s a reporter for CatCo Magazine.”

Silence once again filled the space. There were so many questions Maggie wanted to ask her dad: about his own life, about her mom, about back home in Nebraska. All of it but she didn’t. She couldn’t, not now anyways. It was her father that had reached out this time, not the other way around.

“Papa, why are you doing this? I mean I heard what you said back at the apartment but there’s got to be another reason. It has nothing to do with you talking to tia or my brothers. Just tell me, why now?”

“I thought a lot about what you said the last time we spoke: how you used to pray and one day see you and love you for who you are. I see you now, mija. I don’t want to be that man who doesn’t see his own daughter. Can you ever forgive me, Margarita, Maggie?”

Maggie looked at her father. It had been a long time since she’d heard her father call her by her nickname, a name she had come to use as her first name from the time her father had left her. For once she didn’t see disapproval in his eyes but rather that of a man genuinely asking his daughter for another chance. 

“I think I can work on that.”

Mr. Rhodas smiled. “That is all I ask.”

After another half hour, Mr. Rhodas walked Maggie back to her apartment.

“Well goodnight, Margarita.”

“Goodnight, papa. Papa, about Alex and I. There’s something I wasn’t sure I should tell you.”

“I’m listening.”

“She’s not my fiancé. She’s my wife.”

Mr. Rhodas stood for a moment and nodded. “Well I suppose I can learn to have two daughters. I look forward to getting to know her.”

Maggie smiled for one of the few times that night. “Goodnight papa.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey you,” Alex said when she saw Maggie walk into the DEO. “I was just finishing up. Everything okay?”

“Come with me,” Maggie said taking Alex’s hand.

She led her to the empty training room. Before Alex could even get a word in, Maggie cradled her face and kissed her deeply. At first Alex was confused and caught off guard but then she gave into it.

“Mm,” Alex finally pulled back, “Not that I mind our spontaneous kisses but what was that for?”

“For being you.”

“I take it things went well with your dad?”

“It’s a start,” Maggie said with a smile. “One I wouldn’t have had if not for you.”

“I was just doing what I know how to do,” Alex moved back Maggie’s hair.

“I love you, Danvers.”

“I love you too, Sawyer. Come on, let’s go home.”

“Yeah,” Maggie said, the two of them walking arm in arm and Maggie placing her head on Alex’s shoulder. 

Tomorrow would be another day and her father would be there.

**Author's Note:**

> I know many LGBTQ stories don't end this way and that many are as realistic as Maggie's story was. I've always remained a hopeful optimist which is why I decided to give Mr. Rhodas (Maggie's father) a redemption arc.


End file.
